Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List

Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «G»:

Generic name, drugGeneric name, drug: The term "generic name" has several meanings as regards drugs:
The chemical name of a drug.
A term referring to the chemical makeup of a drug rather than to the advertised brand name under which the drug is sold.
A term referring to any drug marketed under its
chemical na...

GenesGenes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) needed to contribute to a function.
An official definition: According to the official Guidelines for Human Gene Nomenclature, a gene is defined as "a DNA segment that contributes to phenotype/function. In the abse...

Genes, breast cancer susceptibilityGenes, breast cancer susceptibility: Inherited factors that predispose
to breast cancer. Put otherwise, these genes make one more susceptible to the disease and
so increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Two of these genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2,
have been identified (and prominently publicized). S...

genesis-genesis: A suffix referring to the beginning, development, or production of something. For example, gametogenesis is the development and production of the male and female germ cells (the gametes) required to form a new individual. Osteogenesis is the production of bone. Pathogenesis is the developm...

Genetic anticipationGenetic anticipation: A remarkable phenomenon in which a genetic disease appears earlier appearance and with increased from with each succeeding generation. Anticipation was once thought not to exist in genetics. It was chalked off as a meaningless statistical artifact. However, anticipation has now...

Genetic codeGenetic code: The instructions in a gene that tell the cell how to make a specific protein. A, T, G, and C are the "letters" of the DNA code. They stand for the chemicals adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, respectively, that make up the nucleotide bases of DNA. Each gene's code combines the fo...

Genetic counselingGenetic counseling: An educational counseling process for individuals and families who have a genetic disease or who are at risk for such a disease. Genetic counseling is designed to provide patients and their families with information about their condition and help them make informed decisions.
The...

Genetic counselorGenetic counselor: A health professional with a specialized graduate degree and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling.
Genetic counselors enter the field from a variety of disciplines, including biology, genetics, nursing, psychology, public health and social work.
Genetic cou...

Genetic discriminationGenetic discrimination: The potential use of genetic information to discriminate against people in the workplace, in health insurance, or in any other arena....

Genetic diseaseGenetic disease: A disease caused by an abnormality in an individual's genome.
There are a number of different types of genetic inheritance:
Single gene inheritance -- Also called Mendelian or monogenic inheritance. This type of inheritance is caused by changes or mutations that occur in the DNA s...

Genetic infantile agranulocytosisGenetic infantile agranulocytosis: Children born with this condition lack neutrophils (a type of white blood cell that is important in fighting infection). These children suffer frequent infections from bacteria which in the past led to death in three-quarters of cases before 3 years of age. This d...

Genetic meltdownGenetic meltdown: A genomic crisis due to an extraordinarily high rate of mutation, a phenomenon known to occur in viruses and perhaps in other organisms.
For example, the antiviral agent Ribavirin acts by inducing genomic meltdown. The drug accelerates the already-high mutation rate of RNA viruses...